This week’s mystery movie was the 1930 film Her Man, with Helen Twelvetrees, Phillips Holmes, Marjorie Rambeau, James Gleason, Ricardo Cortez, Harry Sweet, Slim Summerville, Thelma Todd, Franklin Pangborn, Stanley Fields, Mathew (often Matthew) Betz and Mike Donlin. (Yes, James Gleason, who is merely comedy relief, got billing over Ricardo Cortez. Go figure).
Story by Tay Garnett and Howard Higgin. Photoplay by Tom Buckingham. Musical director Josiah Zuro. Art direction by Carroll Clark.
Photographed by Edward Snyder. Edited by Joseph Kane. Costumes by Gwen Wakeling. Sound by Earl A. Wolcott and Harold Stine.
Produced by E.B. Derr.
Directed by Tay Garnett.
The restored version aired on TCM last year, but is apparently not commercially available.
More information on Her Man is available from the AFI catalog.
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I picked Her Man because it was featured in the recent MOMA series Dames, Janes, Dolls and Canaries.
Her Man falls squarely in Mordaunt Hall territory, so let’s see if he liked it.
No, he did not.
New York Times, Oct. 4, 1930:
Her Man, at the Globe, is another version, this time on the screen, of the famous American legendary song, Frankie and Johnnie. In this instance Franke is Helen Twelvetrees and Johnnie is represented by Ricardo Cortez. It is difficult to determine from one viewing what it was all about, but it would seem that there was much ado about some sailors in a Havana dive, where Frankie is an entertainer. This Frankie is a good girl, one is given to understand, except that she steals, lies and flirts. Aside from this she appears romantic when a fair-haired youth turns up and fights other men so that he may take her away to America.
…. The photoplay is a hodge-podge of sentimentality plastered on thickly and is hardly aided by the histrionics of Miss Twelvetrees, who overacts at every opportunity.
For Monday, we have a mysterious gentleman. He (and I know this will come as a surprise) does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Ricardo Cortez.
For Tuesday, we have another dapper mystery gent. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
For Friday, adding our mysterious leading lady.
Update: This is Mathew Betz and Helen Twelvetrees.
Brain Trust roll call (and amazingly, nobody ended up in the trash or spam folders): Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery gent), June (Monday’s mystery gent), Jim Craig (Monday’s mystery gent), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery gent), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery gent), Skretvedt (Monday’s mystery gent), David Inman (Monday’s mystery gent), Thom and Megan (Monday’s mystery gent), Matt Berger (Monday’s mystery gent) and Jenny M. (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery gent).
Note to Sylvia E. Yes.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a disheveled mystery gent.
Update: This is Franklin Pangborn.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery fellow, with mysterious leading lady, cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery gent), MikesMaddie (Monday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious gent who does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is James Gleason.
We also have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Thelma Todd.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery sport), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery sport), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery sport), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery sport), David Inman (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery sport), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery sport) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman cropped out due to lack of mysteriousness and Wednesday’s mystery sport).
For Friday, here’s a better look at Monday’s mysterious chap. He does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Ricardo Cortez.
We also have this mystery woman and Back of the Head Bartender.
Update: This is Stanley Fields as Back of the Head Bartender with Marjorie Rambeau.
And finally, this mystery couple.
Update: This is Helen Twelvetrees and Phillips Holmes.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery fellow), Gary (Thursday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (Thursday’s mystery guests), Patrick (mystery movie and Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mysterious gambler) and Suzanne Stone (mystery movie and mystery cast).
ladailymirror.com 
Ricardo Cortez.
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Ricardo Cortez
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Looks like Ricardo Cortez, nee Jacob Krantz.
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It looks like Ricardo Cortez.
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Ricardo Cortez?
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A young Hollywood hopeful Zero Mostel.
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I’m a big Zero Mostel fan. But alas, not this time.
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Looks like Ricardo Cortez’s eyes to me.
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Ricardo Cortez today.
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Richard Whorf in “Yankee Doodle Dandy”?
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A good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Does this week’s puzzle have a St. Valentine’s day massacre connection?
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I thought about it and decided against it. I also thought about a football-related film, maybe something with Joe E. Brown. But then I changed course.
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Possibly “Her Man” 1930
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I’m going to just take the leap and guess.
“Al Capone” 1959
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A great guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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I think my guess went into the void.
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It did. Thanks for your patience!
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Our mystery guest is Ricardo Cortez in Mr. Moto’s Last Warning.
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It looks a bit like Ricardo Cortez.
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Is there a Cuban connection to the story?
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Ricardo Cortez in Her Man.
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HER MAN.
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Matthew Betz today.
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Helen Twelvetrees just out of frame.
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Matthew Betz in HER MAN (1930).
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Is the Monday mystery man Ricardo Cortez?
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Nat Pendleton. What your Brain Trust can do with a pair of eyes is amazing!
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Alas, Nat has the week off.
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I knew Ricardo Cortez was the Monday man but how can he be shown on Monday? Matthew Betz today in HER MAN.
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Harold Huber Monday?
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Excellent guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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On Tuesday … Matthew Betz?
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Joseph Calleia
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Good guess, but alas, Joseph Calleia was last week. 🙂
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Yay! He man Franklin Pangborn!
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Franklin Pangborn.
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As Franklin Pangborn enters the picture, that could be Eddie Nugent;s eyebrows peering over the newspaper before following A Fool’s Advice.
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Franklin Pangborn
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Franklin Pangborn today, making this “Her Man.”
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Franklin Pangborn, the one and only
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Our mystery movie is Her Man with Franklin Pangborn for today. Yesterday’s mystery arm lady is Helen Twelvetrees.
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James Gleason and Thelma Todd.
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James Gleason; Thelma Todd.
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James Gleason sends me to Her Man.
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In all these years…yes, years…I believe this is the first time we have seen James Gleason as a mystery guest despite his gajillion screen credits.
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James Gleason and Thelma Todd.
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Her Man (1930) w/Ricardo Cortez, Helen Twelvetrees, Marjorie Rambeau, James Gleason, Phillips Holmes, Thelma Todd, Slim Summerville, Franklin Pangborn…
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James Gleason and Thelma Todd
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Ubiquitous James Gleason and Thelma Todd, the Ice Cream…Brunette today
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Ricardo Cortez, Franklin Pangborn, James Gleason and Thelma Todd in Her Man from 1930.
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James Gleason as Squint Dugan in The Big Gamble (1931)
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“Her Man” 1930…James Gleason, Matthew Betz, Franklin Pangborn, Helen Twelvetrees, Marjorie Rambeau.
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Ricardo Cortez, Mike Donlin BOTH, Marjorie Rambeau, Helen Twelvetrees, and Philip Holmes.
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Stanley Fields, Marjorie Rambeau; Helen Twelvetrees, Phillips Holmes.
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Marjorie Rambeau, Helen Twelvetrees and Phillips Holmes.
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Hope I’ve got this right: Marjorie Rambeau, Helen Twelvetrees and Phillips Holmes
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